2013 Volkswagen Passat Front Brake Pad Replacement – DIY

Just another quick video showing how to replace the front brake pads on a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. This vehicle did not have the sensor wire to tell when the pads are worn down, but some models do have that wire. It’s easy, just disconnect it and reconnect it to the new brake pad.

You will need:
flathead screwdriver
7mm allen wrench hex bit
pliers or vise grips

First you will need to remove the retaining clip by prying it out with a small screwdriver. Next, you can push the piston back into the caliper by prying inside the access window of the caliper. The idea is to push the caliper piston back inside the caliper so you will have enough space for the new brake pads. Now, at the back of the caliper, you will see two small black plastic circle caps that can be removed by prying them off with a screwdriver. This will give you access to remove the caliper bolts. The caliper bolts can be removed with a 7mm allen wrench or hex bit. I used the hex bit on a socket wrench to get more leverage. With the two caliper bolts removed, you can take the caliper off and carefully prop it on the upper control arm. You can pull the inboard pad out of the caliper piston and remove the outboard pad as well. Before putting the new brake pads in, I like to put a light coat of sil-glyde brake grease on the back of the pad and any other parts of the metal backing plate that will make contact with the metal caliper support bracket. This really seems to keep the brake noise at a minimum.
Now, you can replace the caliper and tighten the caliper bolts. Don’t forget to re-install the small plastic caps that cover the caliper bolts.
Finally, you can replace the tension spring. This can be a bit tricky, but if you get one side started and hold it in place with pliers, you should be able to pry the other side into place. This took me a few tries, but I eventually got it done.

Here is a link to the sil-glyde I use on brake pads:

Here is a link to the hex bit kit I have: